Moon, we have to go down the stairs to the kitchen, and then down more stairs to the yard. I did try the towel sling thing once we were out there but he was just like, "What the fork, get this off of me." and wouldn't really walk with it. He weighs about 27 pounds so he's pretty portable.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

Walking around the yard and kitchen much better this morning, still fell down trying to poop. I've dealt with sprained dog legs before, but this scenario didn't occur to me. And Chester's age, grump, and stubbornness make it more difficult. Like, after dinner he usually just lays on the bedroom floor for most of the night anyway, which makes it hard to tell if he won't get out of the bed because he's having trouble or because fork you mom, i'm not moving.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

Oh, and last night Brian got a pizza and after he put it up, we went upstairs where Chester was laying in his bed, being the saddest sad in the land of Sadonia, and then I guess the pizza smell finally made it upstairs because he started sniffing the air, got up, and made a slow break for the door. When I asked him what he was doing, he fell down in surprise (horrible mother, right here). That's what I mean by sometimes it's hard to tell why he won't move. Apparently the smell of pizza is worth trying to throw himself down the stairs for.

Also, if your dog ever has to have hip surgery, expect them to fall down a lot more in general. It's not painful, more like a 'oh I was standing and now i'm sitting' thing, and he totally rolls with it. It's funny when we take the dogs to the park or whatever or on a walk, and Chester will misstep and plop his butt on the ground, and he just keeps smiling and gets right back up like 'BFD, mothers hubbard'. Of course, when you throw in a sprained leg his reaction is more like 'this is bullshiitake'.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

My cat is old and jdfunks keeps thinking he's dead when he's just sleeping, which freaks me out.

i check on my old sleeping cat all the time to make sure she's still breathing. sometimes i have to wake her up because i'm not sure, and then i feel like a crasshole, but, like, she could definitely really be dead.

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq

When my sister has to come check on my cats if I'm away or sumpin and she can't find my elderly one, she says she "sniffs around for the smell of death." I'm twisted so I laugh at that because I know she actually does sniff around until she finds him safe, sound and breathing in some little warm cubby he's found.

Chester is getting better by the day, but he still can't go upstairs or lift a leg to pee. He can and will go down the stairs though, which means no opening the door and THEN picking him up. He thinks gravity is just helping him out, but I know better.

I took him to work with me today and my boss said five variations of 'your dog doesn't do anything'. He's 12 and part lazy Beagle, of course he sleeps all day!

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

So I was able to get Chester to go up the back stairs, and up the house stairs a few times, with some coaxing or a cookie if needed, but apparently after a few days he said 'fork walking upstairs' and now won't go up for anything. So he has to be carried inside and up to bed until the end of time.

I love my old, defective dog.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

We went to the vet for Cuddle's annual and there was a woman there whose older dog had just been PTS. So I am standing there during the exam, realizing that although Cuddles is in great health, at about 10 (no one knows for sure), I am not going to have him forever. And then I cried.

I love my old dog, he is such a mush.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

Brucie Bean and Peapod are almost six years old. After Barney passed away last year they both became the seniors of the herd but I didn't realize that they're 'old' until Bruce had a checkup with his vet earlier this week. I'm keeping a close eye on him with his heart condition and on her for potential ovarian cysts. It really doesn't help that guinea pigs often look like they're dead when they're just sleeping.

My dad and I had a long conversation today about the very probable likelihood that Scruffy is nearing the end and it's time. It's so hard to make that choice when there are times when he's doing good - tail wagging, happy to see me, snorting around the house - but also a lot of bad times. He's almost 17 years old. I don't want to make that choice but I also don't want to watch him fall apart bit by bit anymore.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:36 pmPosts: 1692Location: the land of too much wine and wind

My parents' dog, Katie is 12, and I lived with her for about 5 years before I moved away. Every time I come home, she has a little more white on her muzzle and moves a little slower. A year ago, my sister and her husband adopted a puppy, Newton, and will bring him whenever they visit our parents. The first couple times they were together, Katie didn't really know what to think of him, but she's gotten used to it to the point where we're all convinced that Newton is keeping her young! In the last year or so, she seems to have a little more energy and plays a bit more.

I'm home for the weekend, and commented to my dad earlier that Katie is acting a bit more spry than she has the last couple times I've seen her. But every time I go back to Chicago, I worry that it'll be the last time I see her. I give her a big hug and whisper sweet words in her ear. She's a special, spoiled, smart pup, and she's lead a lovely, full life, regardless of whenever she goes.

_________________I just brought out the carrot sticks. This is war. - paprikapapaya

My in laws are visiting and one of their 4 dogs is being out down tomorrow. Rio is 17 years old, a sheltie. She's the sweetest little old lady. Blind and deaf and skinny and only barks when it's time for her food. She's just finally reached that point where she's in pain and it isn't fair to her anymore.

Once, my mother in law made me out mascara on her for a dog show (awful, I agree) because she has white eyelashes.

I'm not looking forward to telling my kids this is happening, so soon after losing our Three-Three.

julie, our pup, will be 10-ish (we adopted her 9+ years ago and who knows how old she really is) this march. two tuesdays ago she had surgery for thyroid cancer. again. this time we took her to a specialist, but this time around we're not following up her surgery with chemotherapy. the chemo almost killed her spirit last go-around and we don't have the heart to put her through it again.

it's tough. so tough. she's our little lady. she's my constant. i don't know what i'm going to do without her and it makes me so sadfaced to think about it. like you, Tofulish, i realize we're not going to have her around forever. it makes me cry.

also, i keep hoping we're doing the right thing by making these decisions for her.

Miss Ginny Weasley is 10 and I fully expect many more years from her! Like another 10! Yeah.

But she always gets all these health issues. I treat them and then she goes back to being FLAWLESS... but then something else new comes up! It's always something it feels like. First it was a kidney infection. Treated that and she's amazing! But then her eyes start looking all freaky, and apparently she's got eye ulcers! Treat that and her eyes are back to being beautiful as ever! But now she's got some itchy skin condition yet to be diagnosed! ARGH GINNY STOP WITH THE RANDOM THINGS!

Scruffy seems to be doing much better lately and my mom is determined to step up and do everything she can to make him as comfortable as possible (instead of complaining about the peas on the carpet). He keeps getting bonier and saggier but he's still a cute little pirate and happy to see me.

My little old man cat is 17 and has always been a bit of a fusspot, howling when he wants attention and so on but lately he's been seriously wailing at three, four in the morning and only stops when I say something (usually "Hey, buddy, you're okay!" because that makes sense to a howling cat?) - maybe he thinks he's been abandoned until he hears me? Every time I get up to check he's just fine. He's lost a lot of weight the last few years and now he's got arthritis and just sits and stares at the wall sometimes. My sweetheart thinks he's nearing the end and I don't know how to know when that is and it makes me sad. I'm sorry all our animal friends get old and sick. :(

Madeleine, my lovely cat, Eshaness, used to howl (well, yowl really) lots. We think it was because she went deaf, and senile. She couldn't hear herself but when we spoke to her she would stop. Maybe they hear our voive vibrating?She had arthritis, renal and kidney problems (was on tablets for that), but she lived to be 21. We became her slaves when she was 1 and we rescued her as she was so badly treated. It's nearly a year since we had her put to sleep and I miss her so much. It's because of her I volunteer on my Saturday, in an animal rescue working with cats and ferrets. To everyone, all I can say, is take tons of photos, loads of videos, all of the time. I wish we had taken more videos of Eshe.This is my old girl - http://www.flickr.com/photos/33196307@N ... 100427635/

Huxley's getting up there. He yowls, but I think it's probably less than what you two, mictheotterspotter and madeleineteacup, describe. He does whine a lot though. Most mornings I pick him up and carry him around until he feels better and he is a giant dog in a cat's body. We say ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION to him and look into his eyes and hug him.

mtos- Eshaness, just beautiful.

_________________You know what would probably be a more effective ritual? Telling the person who you want to shut up, "You better not talk or we'll pound you." -Footface

Julia and Madeleine, thank you for your comments about Eshe, she was very special and I miss her terribly.Like I said, make the most of it, loves, cuddles, snuggles, hugs, chats, cat talks, all of it. Though I still talk to her now, trouble is, I get no cheeky yowl in reply.I don't understand how they can get to us so much. Hell, I don't miss my mother at all (though that's a whole different story) but my cat....well.And the ones at the place I volunteer, I love some of them to bits (some less so), but I'm not ready yet, and the Fatman is nowhere near ready. One day another cat will walk into our lives hopefully.Please give your cats a hug and kiss from me.Michelle x